CURVE FOLLOWER

A curve follower or line tracing system for converting the common representation of patterns of lines into features which are readily usable as inputs to an adaptive information processing system such as a Nestor adaptive module. The problem addressed by this system is how to sequentially identify, from a global exposure or tracing of a curve, the starting and subsequent points of the curve in the same manner as tracing it by hand. In the curve follower, an array of light sensitive elements located on a grid identify a line at the grid points. Since the end point of the line has a single neighbor, it is readily located. The identification of an end point is used to subsequently inhibit further identification of the end point and create another point which is similar identified. Overall biases may be employed to define a preferred line direction. Once the resulting sequence is obtained, the line may be coded.